Laterals to People

Need sewer lateral repairs but can't afford them? Help is available!

San Antonio Water System offers the Laterals to People program to provide assistance to low-income residential customers seeking repairs to the sewer lateral from outside their home to the property line.

Repairs to sewer laterals can be expensive and are often cost prohibitive for low income individuals and families. Deferred repairs can lead to sewer back-ups that can cause health and environmental safety threats. The Laterals to People program is designed to cover qualifying repairs to remedy sewer back-ups and put customers back in service.

Who is Eligible?

You can apply for the Laterals to People program if:

You are a SAWS water and sewer customer. (Water-only customers are not eligible for this program.)

Types of eligible sewer repairs include: cleaning laterals, televising laterals, installing clean-outs, and repairing or replacing laterals. Problems under or internal to the house are generally not eligible for this program.

How the Program Works

If you qualify, Human Services will notify SAWS with your contact information.

SAWS then contacts a plumber under contract. The plumber is given your name, address, phone number and a brief description of the problem.

A SAWS representative then contacts you to arrange the plumber’s service call. You must keep the appointment. If you cannot keep the appointment, you must call the SAWS representative and cancel 24 hours in advance.

Only plumbers under contract with SAWS are authorized to make repairs under this program. If you have the repairs made, you are not eligible for reimbursement under this program.